Blueprint Implementation Guide

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Career learning for the 21st century

A guide to the

Blueprint for Careersand its implementation


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2 Career learning for the 21st century

This publication is published and distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported(CC BY 3.0) licence.

This means that you are free:

z to share: to copy, distribute and transmit the work

z to remix: to adapt the work

z to make commercial use of the work

On the condition that you attribute as follows:

This work draws on the English Blueprint for Careers. This has been developed by the Learning and

Skills Improvement Service. For further details see LSIS (2012)A Guide to the Blueprint for Careers.

Coventry: LSIS.

Any publications or products developed from this work should not be attributed in any way that

suggests that LSIS endorses you or your use of the work.

A full description of this licence can be viewed at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/legalcode

Download

This publication is available to download in PDF format from the Excellence Gateway,

Career Development section.

Publisher

Published by the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS).

LSIS March 2012

Publication reference: LSIS230-00 (2012)
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/legalcodehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/legalcode


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A guide to the Blueprint for Careers and its implementation 3

Contents

Foreword 4

Introduction 5

The Blueprint for Careers: what it is and how it was developed 5

About the Blueprint 6

The development of the Blueprint for Careers 7

Other LSIS Blueprint publications 7

1. How do people develop the skills and attributes that they need to plan andmanage their career? 8

2. Using the Blueprint to support career learning 10

A. Understanding and developing myself 11

1. I know who I am and what I am good at 12

2. I interact confidently and effectively with others 16

3. I change, develop and adapt throughout life 19

B. Exploring life, learning and work 22

4. I learn throughout my life 23

5. I find and utilise information and the support of others 266. I understand how changes in society, politics and the economy

relate to my life, learning and work 28

7. I understand how life, learning and work roles change over time 30

C. Developing and managing life, learning and work 32

8. I make effective decisions relating to my life, learning and work 33

9. I find, create and keep work 36

10. I maintain a balance in my life, learning and work that is right for me 39

11. I plan, develop and manage my life, learning and work 413. Implementing the Blueprint for Careers 44

How organisations can use the Blueprint 45

What kinds of activities support career learning? 46

Using the Blueprint in different contexts 47

Mapping the Blueprint against other frameworks 48

4. Further information and resources 49

International resources 49

UK resources 51


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Foreword

I am pleased to be able to introduce the Blueprint for Careers for England.

The Blueprint sets out an approach to the management of life, learning and work that will supportindividuals to make the most of their opportunities and deal with the challenges of the 21st century.

It outlines eleven key areas in which individuals may focus their energy and enhance their ability to

achieve what is right for them as they navigate their way forward.

The Blueprint can help people to see the importance of thinking about and developing their career.

A persons career is not just about what they do at work, but also includes their approach to learning

and life. Our careers are important to our lives and our happiness and they also enable us to make

an impact on society and our personal and national economy. The Blueprint is designed to help

individuals manage their careers more effectively and to enable them to realise their potential andmake a positive contribution to society.

The Blueprint for Careers builds upon international practice, but has been developed by LSIS for

England. The focus is on realising the potential of people in a way that is sustained and progressive

across their journey through life. The Blueprint is designed to be used in formal and informal learning,

in employment and in any other place where people seek to develop their skills and careers. This

lifelong focus is important as peoples ability to manage their careers can help them in making

transitions between various life roles and so can support both social inclusion and social mobility.

Our ambition now is for individuals, learning providers, employers and other organisations across

the country to engage with the Blueprint. We have the opportunity to use the Blueprint to create a

common sense of purpose around personal and career development that cuts across all society.

The Blueprint offers enormous value for individuals and organisations alike. However, its greatest value

will be realised when it is used to provide a common lifelong framework for career development. Just as

an individuals career journey passes through a range of organisations, so must their ability to access

support for their career. If the Blueprint can be mainstreamed into educational provision, human

resource management and support services, it has the potential to have a truly transformative impact

on UK society.

I hope you find this guide helpful as we all work together towards the achievement of this vision.

Rob Wye


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Introduction

This guide explains what the Blueprint for Careers is and how it might be used by learning and skills

providers to support the career development of their learners. The Blueprint sets out a comprehensive

approach to career learning for individuals and offers a flexible curriculum or framework thatyou can use with all of your learners. The guide provides a detailed overview of the Blueprint for

Careers and helps providers to think about how to most effectively implement it. The guide provides

detailed learning outcomes, activities and case studies as well as ideas about how different kinds of

organisation can use the Blueprint. If the Blueprint for Careers is to have a national impact on the life,

learning and work of the nation it requires learning providers to engage with it and to use it to inform

and develop their delivery. This guide offers providers the tools to deliver on this ambition.

The Blueprint for Careers: what it is and how it was developed

The Blueprint for Careers is a framework that can be used to help people to manage their approach

to their life, learning and work. The ability to manage a career can help individuals to maximise their

potential, to make transitions between life roles and to deal with change as well as adding significantly

to their wellbeing and happiness.

The Blueprint for Careers builds upon international practice, and has been designed to be used in

a wide range of different learning, career development and work contexts. It comprises 11 career

learning competencies organised under three headings.

The Blueprint for Careers

A. Understanding and developing myself

1. I know who I am and what I am good at.

2. I interact confidently and effectively with others.

3. I change, develop and adapt throughout my life.

B. Exploring life, learning and work

4. I learn throughout my life.

5. I find and utilise information and the support of others.

6. I understand how changes in society, politics and the economy relate to my life, learning

and work.

7. I understand how life, learning and work roles change over time.

C. Developing and managing life, learning and work

8. I make effective decisions relating to my life, learning and work.

9. I find, create and keep work.

10. I maintain a balance in my life, learning and work that is right for me.

11. I plan, develop and manage my life, learning and work.

A more detailed breakdown of the career learning competencies is given in section 2.


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About the Blueprint

People are often told that they should invest in their careers or spend time developing their skills, but

it can be difficult to translate these big aspirations into actions. The Blueprint for Careers breaks down

the process of career development into a series of areas that individuals or providers can focus on.

The Blueprint for Careers consists of eleven career learning competencies which are designed to guide

an individuals personal development in relation to their life, learning and work. It sets out these eleven

areas under three headings, which ask people to think about:

z understanding and developing themselves;

z exploring life, learning and work; and

z developing and managing their life, learning and work.

The Blueprint for Careers is a useful framework for individuals, but it also has huge value for a range of

workplaces and learning organisations. The Blueprint is free and available to use by any organisation

that seeks to improve career development opportunities for the people that they work with. Career

development is ultimately the responsibility of the individual, but everyone would benefit from

help and support from friends, colleagues and the learning professionals that they interact with. So,

organisations can use the Blueprint for Careers in a number of ways:

z Managers or human resources practitioners who are looking to develop the careers of their staff can

use the Blueprint for Careers as a resource in appraisals or staff training.

z Teachers and tutors may wish to use the Blueprint for Careers to inform their curriculum and support

their students in preparing for life, learning and work.

z Perhaps most obviously, careers professionals may wish to use the Blueprint as a resource across the

whole range of their work, including individual guidance.

The guide is designed to help support a range of practitioners to use the Blueprint for Careers for

the benefit of their learners, employees and clients. It is hoped that this guide can provide a good

understanding of the Blueprint and offer examples of how others have used it. The framework isdesigned to be open and permissive so that practitioners can decide how best to apply it for their local

contexts. The Blueprint is published under a Creative Commons licence, so you can adapt and reuse it

for your own purposes as long as you acknowledge where it came from. 1

1 See the Creative Commons licence detail on page 2 of this publication.


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The development of the Blueprint for Careers

The Blueprint for Careers is based on international practice. It has its origins in the US, but was then

adapted for use in Canada and Australia. As the Blueprint has been borrowed by different countries

it has changed and evolved. Each country has adapted it for its own purpose, refined the model andadded more resources. Section 3 provides a brief overview of some of the resources that are out there

for you to use and provides links to existing Blueprints elsewhere in the world.

The version of the Blueprint for the English context was developed through a long process of trialling

and feedback. This process included:

z examining the existing Blueprint models from elsewhere in the world

z producing and disseminating a version of the Blueprint and exploring its use through

three publications

2

z supporting the trialling of the Blueprint in a range of educational settings

z revising the Blueprint based on feedback to produce the current version.

Other LSIS Blueprint publications

z The career blueprint a competence approach This publication sets out initial thinking about the

usefulness of the Blueprint and includes an initial reworking of the Blueprint for the English context.

z Careers blueprint supporting an all-age guidance strategy This publication deepens the

understanding of the Blueprint and explores its implementation in England through a number of

pilots.

z Mapping the Blueprint against other frameworks This publication looks at how the Blueprint

relates to other frameworks and standards that relate to careers work in England.

z The Blueprint for Careers a new version for the English context This publication sets out a revised

version of the Blueprint building on the previous publications.

z All LSIS Blueprint publications are posted on the Excellence Gateway at www.excellencegateway.org.uk/node/1332

2 See www.excellencegateway.org.uk/page.aspx?o=315924 for further information about LSIS work on the Blueprint.
http://www.excellencegateway.org.uk/node/1332http://www.excellencegateway.org.uk/node/1332http://www.excellencegateway.org.uk/page.aspx?o=315924http://www.excellencegateway.org.uk/page.aspx?o=315924http://www.excellencegateway.org.uk/node/1332http://www.excellencegateway.org.uk/node/1332


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3. Trying tounderstand

what happened

2. Thinkingabout what you

have done

1. Doingsomething

4. Tryingsomething new

1. How do people develop the skills and attributes

that they need to plan and manage their career?

The skills and attitudes that are needed to successfully pursue a career are acquired across thecourse of a life. They build on a range of pre-existing ideas and abilities held by an individual,

and intersect with other learning experiences. Learning and development can take place

in a range of formal and informal contexts including schools, post-compulsory education,

employment and during periods of unemployment. Career learning can also happen outside

any of these contexts, through hobbies, relationships and other life experiences.

People are unlikely to learn everything that they need to know about their career in a

conventional classroom. Career learning takes place in different ways and at different

times for different people. People learn about their career, through a process that involvesexperiences (including interactions with people), reflecting upon these experiences,

incorporating the learning from them into how they see the world, and then acting upon this

learning. We might represent this cycle as follows:3

Career learning involves the development of complex skills that are gradually built up over a

number of experiences. Many of these experiences will involve others, who may take the roles

of teacher, mentor, coach or peer. Skills that relate to career are often difficult to develop inisolation. Whether an individual is in learning, in work or in a social situation, their career and

their skills develop alongside other people.

3 Based on Kolbs learning cycle (1984).


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If you are new to supporting career learning

Underpinning the Blueprint for Careers is the assumption that learning about careers is

something that people do throughout their lives and with the help of a wide range of people.

Career guidance professionals have an important role to play in an individuals careerlearning, but their role is only one amongst many. Learning programmes set an important

context within which people think about their careers. Furthermore learners will frequently

turn to teachers, tutors and assessors to help inform their career building.

This publication is not asking everyone to become a career specialist. Rather it is making

the point that career is something that interfaces with everything that happens within the

learning and skills sector. The Blueprint for Careers provides an approach that is designed

to connect meaningfully with the activities of learning providers. Often teachers, tutors

and assessors will find that they are already supporting career learning in a host of wayswithout having ever have thought about it in these terms. However, slight adaptations or

development of your practice may be able to enhance career learning in your programme.

Section 2 provides a lot more detail on the Blueprint for Careers. It breaks each of the career

learning competencies down and provides indicators for each. The guide then sets out

examples of the kinds of activities that you could use to support learners to enhance their

career learning competencies. The section also provides a number of case studies to help you

to visualise the ways in which the Blueprint could be implemented.

Section 3 then provides further detail on the practicalities of implementing the Blueprint for

Careers within the activities of a wide range of learning providers. This includes a discussion

of What kinds of activities support career learning that may be particularly useful to people

who are new to this area.

To help you develop your knowledge, skills and abilities within career learning, LSIS has

developed a modular online training resource called; Career Learning for All. This can be

accessed free through the LSIS learning environment at www.leadershiplearning.org.uk/

course/view.php?id=368
http://www.leadershiplearning.org.uk/course/view.php?id=368http://www.leadershiplearning.org.uk/course/view.php?id=368http://www.leadershiplearning.org.uk/course/view.php?id=368http://www.leadershiplearning.org.uk/course/view.php?id=368


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2. Using the Blueprint to support career learning

The Blueprint for Careers is made up of 11 career learning competencies. Taken together they

comprise a comprehensive approach to career development. Once the Blueprint is introduced

to individuals they may use it to reflect on themselves and to define their own career learninggoals. The Blueprint is designed to foster ongoing personal reflection and to encourage an

orientation towards lifelong learning and career development. However, people will need to be

introduced to the Blueprint and shown how it might be useful to them.

The Blueprint may also help them to clarify what further help and advice they need to progress

their career. Because of this, the Blueprint for Careers can be used as a valuable framework for

the delivery of learning programmes and careers services, within which practitioners can shape

interventions and programmes to support individuals in managing their careers.

This section of the guide aims to set out how practitioners might use the Blueprint to support

their learners to engage with the career learning competencies. Each section provides a more

detailed breakdown of the indicators of each of these career learning competencies and

suggests organising them under the following areas.

Knowing where to find out about others and the world around you and

seeking knowledge, facts, information, and ideas.

Knowing why things happen and seeking to understand; to make

connections between ideas and to reflect about yourself

and others.

Knowing how to move things on; to behave positively; to take action and

to apply knowledge.

Under each of the career learning competencies there are also a series of suggested activities

that are designed to be used with learners. These have been divided into facilitated and

self-directed learning activities that can be used to provide starting points for working with

learners around the career learning competency.

z Facilitated activities are those that require a practitioner to work with a learner or group

of learners

z Self-directed activities are those that learners can be directed to undertake on their own.

As a teacher, tutor, facilitator or assessor, you are free to approach the career learning

competency in the way that is most appropriate to your context. The activities and

accompanying case studies are designed to provide inspiration and are not meant to be

prescriptive. Although activities are linked to individual career learning competencies they can

be used across a number of competencies. It is important to identify the area of learning thatis to be addressed and then select activities which will best facilitate this.

LSIS will also be producing a guide specifically for learners, which will be available from the

Excellence Gateway in summer 2012.


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A. Understanding and developing myself

This section of the Blueprint is about how learners come to understand themselves, think

about what they are good at and what makes them feel good about themselves. Developing

a positive sense of self underpins interactions with others and helps individuals to makepurposeful career choices. It encourages consideration of where personal and career

development is needed and the identification of any self-imposed barriers. It is also about

helping learners to understand the impact that others have on their life and the value of

feedback. It helps learners to recognise that life and work requires an ability to respond to

changing circumstances and that new situations can provide opportunities to learn.

There are three career learning competencies organised under this heading.

1. I know who I am and what I am good at.2. I interact confidently and effectively with others.

3. I change, develop and adapt throughout my life.


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1. I know who I am and what I am good at

This career learning competency helps people to think about themselves, their strengths and

weaknesses and their plans for development.

This career learning competency includes:

Knowing what and where

z to find out about

yourself, others and the

world around you and

seeking knowledge, facts,

information, and ideas.

z knowing what my interests, abilities, personal qualities

and values are

z knowing my strengths and development needs

z being aware of how I behave and the impact my

behaviour has on those around me and how I am

perceived

z

knowing what makes me feel good about myselfKnowing why

z things happen and seeking

to understand, to make

connections between

ideas and to reflect about

yourself and others.

z understanding that my health and well-being affects the

way I feel about myself

z understanding that the way I feel about myself can

affect whether I achieve my life and work goals

z understanding the benefits of building upon my

strengths and the importance of taking charge of my

own development

z understanding the benefits of building and maintaining

my self-esteemKnowing how

z to move things on,

to behave positively,

to take action and

to apply knowledge.

z seeking, accepting and making use of feedback from

others

z identifying work and opportunities that match my

interests and values

z identifying work and opportunities that build on my

strengths and/or develop my skills and experience in

other areas

z creating a self-development plan

z

demonstrating resilience throughout my life and careerz challenging myself to improve my performance

Examples of facilitated learning activities

Within the context of your learning programme you may find it useful to address this career

learning competency using one or more of the following activities:

z Developing effective feedback skills can support learners to build confidence in themselves

and trust relationships with peers. Feedback training can be built into a range of activitiesthat involve presentation and reflection4

4 See Excellence Gateway www.excellencegateway.org.uk/node/1439 for skills and processes for giving and

receiving feedback.
http://www.excellencegateway.org.uk/node/1439http://www.excellencegateway.org.uk/node/1439


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z Learning programmes offer a range of opportunities for group work. A useful exercise can

be to debrief on group activities through a group session in which learners provide each

other with feedback on their skills and talents

z Health and wellbeing are important aspects of helping individuals to adopt a positiveapproach to life. Supporting learners to engage in sporting activities can help develop

positive attitudes about life, learning and work

z Award ceremonies can provide a positive stimulation and reinforcement of success

and achievements. Practitioners can actively seek out opportunities to celebrate all

learner success

z Websites such as iCould (www.icould.com) provide inspirational stories of how individuals

have taken charge of and developed their careers. These can provide a useful tool forhelping to stimulate learners with success stories

z Visualising what different jobs might be like can help individuals to explore how they might

feel about different roles. Job profiles can help learners explore the tasks that they like

and dislike within different occupations and to understand better why they might feel like

this. A broad range of job profiles can be found on the National Careers Service website

https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/

Case study

An adult learning provider working with adults with learning difficulties developed a

toolkit of resources to help learning advisers and tutors facilitate initial assessment and

person-centred planning, which included:

z a focus on the learners likes and dislikes; and

z meaningful initial assessment tasks, mapped to the curriculum to help learners and

staff assess in sufficient detail what they could and could not do and enabled tailored

individual learning plans to be developed.

Through improved understanding of themselves and their learning needs, learners are

empowered to make their own informed decisions.
http://www.icould.com/https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/http://www.icould.com/


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Examples of self-directed learning activities

You may wish to encourage learners to continue to develop in this career learning area using

one or more of the following activities:

z When you are working with learners to help them to think about their career direction it

can be useful to encourage them to complete an interest inventory or career assessment.

This can be set as a non-class activity and then used as the basis of a discussion in the

following session. There are number of these tests available. Those listed below can be

accessed free, for example, the Skills Health Check, which can be found on the National

Careers Service website https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/tools/skillshealthcheck/

Pages/default.aspx. Other tools include:

BBC Careers Test www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/mind/surveys/careers

Career Test www.careertest.net

Find your strengths www.literacyworks.org/mi/assessment/findyourstrengths.html

The Big Five www.outofservice.com/bigfive

z Learners often feel uncomfortable in seeking feedback from peers about their strengths

and weaknesses. A way to address this is to encourage them to ask a friend to describe

them giving reasons for their description. This is a way of increasing their self-awareness.

z Tutorials provide a useful for forum for addressing personal development opportunities. Five

ways to Wellbeing (http://neweconomics.org/projects/five-ways-well-being ) provides some

useful case studies of how individuals can be more proactive in managing their wellbeing.

Using the five ways (Connect, Be active, Take notice, Keep learning and Give) ask learners to

identify one activity they could do for each and to devise a plan as to how they will achieve this.

Case study

Sandwell College is a further education college in the West Midlands. The college developed

a resource based on the Blueprint to help learners to assess their career management skills.The resource was designed to enable the learner to identify and understand their initial,

on course and longer-term support needs and to provide the college with information to

help identify priorities and deliver focused support. The college was also able to use the

information gathered to help to develop the future provision of career learning within the

college. The resource was based on a survey developed from the Australian Blueprint, but

was completely re-worked with the help and feedback from learners.

Sandwell Colleges adoption of the Blueprint has led to learners who are more aware of

their strengths in managing their career development and more aware of what they needto do to address weaknesses. Learners reported that they had felt immediate benefits

from the process, with many saying that it was the first time that they had received

feedback on their career development and learning.
https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/tools/skillshealthcheck/Pages/default.aspxhttps://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/tools/skillshealthcheck/Pages/default.aspxhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/mind/surveys/careershttp://www.careertest.net/http://www.literacyworks.org/mi/assessment/findyourstrengths.htmlhttp://www.outofservice.com/bigfivehttp://neweconomics.org/projects/five-ways-well-beinghttp://neweconomics.org/projects/five-ways-well-beinghttp://www.outofservice.com/bigfivehttp://www.literacyworks.org/mi/assessment/findyourstrengths.htmlhttp://www.careertest.net/http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/mind/surveys/careershttps://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/tools/skillshealthcheck/Pages/default.aspxhttps://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/tools/skillshealthcheck/Pages/default.aspx


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Useful resources

The following resources might be useful for you and your learners

z Mind Tools, Coaching to develop self-awarenesswww.mindtools.com/pages/article/coaching-self-awareness.htm

z The Centre for Applied Positive Psychology blog http://blog.cappeu.com/tag/strengths-2

z The Interactive Johari Widow http://kevan.org/johari

z The Five Ways to Wellbeing http://neweconomics.org/projects/five-ways-well-being
http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/coaching-self-awareness.htmhttp://blog.cappeu.com/tag/strengths-2/http://kevan.org/joharihttp://neweconomics.org/projects/five-ways-well-beinghttp://neweconomics.org/projects/five-ways-well-beinghttp://kevan.org/joharihttp://blog.cappeu.com/tag/strengths-2/http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/coaching-self-awareness.htm


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2. I interact confidently and effectively with others

This learning area is about people thinking about their relationships with others. This career

learning competency includes:


z to find out about





z knowing what is meant by social and professional

networks and how to develop and access them

z knowing about the importance of building effective

personal relationships

z knowing what factors influence relationships e.g. common

interests, peer pressure, differences, moods, feelings

Knowing why


to understand, to makeconnections between



z understanding that networks are important in life,

learning and work

z understanding the importance of relationships in my life,learning and work

z understanding and respecting diversity and individual

differences

z understanding how to deal with peer pressure, conflict

and emotions in relationships

Knowing how



to take action andto apply knowledge.

z living, learning and working effectively with others

z dealing with challenges that emerge in my relationships

with other people

z working effectively in a group or teamz listening, to others and understanding their point of view

z expressing my own views and feelings

z developing, contributing to and drawing on a range

of networks


Within the context of your learning programme, you may find it useful to address this career

learning competency using one or more of the following activities:

z All group activities offer opportunities for learners to explore how they work with others and

the role they frequently adopt. It is useful for individuals to understand the roles that they

typically play. This can be addressed using a tool such as Belbin Team Roles (www.belbin.com),

which can help to raise awareness of preferred role in teams and to structure reflection.

z Developing networking skill is key to effective career management. ICT sessions can be

used to encourage learners to develop a list of people who might be useful to their career

and to think about how they might connect with these people. This could be used to workwith learners to think about different forms of communication i.e. email, letter, phone,

text and to assess which approach would be most appropriate to use. The LSIS resource

Shaping my future available free at www.leadershiplearning.org.uk includes a module

on networking, including activities designed to identify your networking style.
http://www.belbin.com/http://www.leadershiplearning.org.uk/http://www.leadershiplearning.org.uk/http://www.belbin.com/


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z Social media such as LinkedIn and Facebook can be useful for career management

activities. Encourage learners to think about how they can use social media appropriately

to promote themselves to potential employers. This is particularly useful for older and

experienced learners.

z Tutorials can be useful to working with learners to develop their assertiveness skills and

confidence. Encourage them to consider a situation where they felt they should have acted

more confidently and as a group work through the scenario and play it out.


You may wish to encourage learners to continue to develop in this career learning competency

through the following activities.

z Learning programmes provide learners with a safe environment to test out and build

confidence in working with others. Encourage learners to identify groups of people orindividuals in their lives they get on with and to analyse what makes these relationships

work. Then ask them to identify groups or individuals they dont get on so well with. Why

do they think this might be the case? They might want to think about how they can build

better relationships with the groups or individuals they find challenging.

z Establishing networks supports the development of communication skills, builds

relationships and helps to extend job search opportunities. In a subject tutorial encourage

learners to identify and list all the people they know in their occupational area, e.g. social

care, all the people they know who work in the area and create a plan of how they mightuse these contacts to support own career plans.

Case study

One way in which a specialist college, which caters for learners throughout the country,

supports them in their transition to independence, is by developing their confidence inwork and learning contexts, building this up in a non-threatening way, in particular by:

z using video-conferencing to link learners with the institutions, to which they are headed

for their next placement, including opportunities to chat to the staff and learners

already there

z developing employability skills through on-site social enterprise and commerce related

to vocational departments allowing for real work experience on site

z entering competitions and exhibiting at trade fairs.


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Case study

Stockton Riverside College (SRC) is a major provider of further education within the Tees

Valley. In using the Blueprint, the college focused on learners who were unemployed andwere attending courses designed to provide them with skills suitable for the current labour

market. This group of learners often experience a lack of confidence, low self-esteem and

poor communication skills, so the college looked at the first area of the Blueprint, which

focused on building and maintaining a positive self-concept; interacting positively and

effectively with others and changing and growing throughout life.

Using the framework helped the college to assess on which courses these specific

competencies were currently being delivered and to identify additional courses and

support that were designed to help learners develop greater confidence and self-esteem.Learner progression was improved through the Blueprint intervention and learners

reported a positive impact on their self-esteem and the experience of the course.

Useful resources

The following resources might be useful for you and your learners:

z BBC Key Skills, Working with others www.bbc.co.uk/keyskills/widerks/3.shtml

z Open University Learning Space, Working with others

http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=2966

z Acas, What is teamwork www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=837
http://www.bbc.co.uk/keyskills/widerks/3.shtmlhttp://openlearn.open.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=2966http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=837http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=837http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=2966http://www.bbc.co.uk/keyskills/widerks/3.shtml


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3. I change, develop and adapt throughout life

This career learning competency is where people can focus on their development and how

they respond to the changes that happen to them throughout life. This career learning

competency includes:


z to find out about





z knowing that I will change and develop throughout

my life

z knowing when and who to ask for help

z being aware of how changes related to my work might

impact on other aspects of my life

z being aware of how life changes can affect my well-

being, mental and physical health and decisions about

life, learning and workz exploring my attitude to risk and being willing to make

changes to my life

Knowing why



connections between



z understanding the value of planning for change

including having flexible and back-up plans

z understanding the value of challenging myself e.g. to do

things differently

z being aware of the value of adapting to new

circumstances and environments

z

understanding what self-limiting beliefs are and theirimpact on my life

Knowing how



to take action and

to apply knowledge.

z being resilient and willing to learn when things change

or do not go as expected

z overcoming fears and worries and taking

appropriate risks

z spotting opportunities and making the most of

chance happenings

z anticipating and initiating change

z

challenging my self-limiting beliefs e.g. stereotypes, toenable me to change and develop


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learning competency through the following activities:

z A group session with adults could focus on helping learners to understand their career

journey to date. Ask learners to draw a timeline of their lives and careers to date. Encourage

them to note the career aspirations they had at different points (even if they feel they now

look silly or unrealistic). Discuss where they have changed direction and why? What has

influenced these changes for example family, friends, self and what or who has helped or

supported them?

z Tutorials could be used to support learners to identify one significant change that they

have experienced in their life and to explore how this impacted on other elements of theirlife. Learners should be encouraged to identify any benefits that have resulted. The group

can then identify strategies that they used to respond to chance happenings positively

z Career planning is a useful tool that can be used in a range of group activities. Use a career

planning session to encourage learners to create a personal development or career plan.

This plan should include both their main goals and a Plan B.



through the following activities:

z In self-directed sessions a learner can be supported to reflect on activities they have

undertaken and what they may have learned from the activities. Examples could include:

When a learner has tried something new or different and what they have learnt from

the experience;

Asking the learner to identify someone they know who has successfully changed their

life and what they can learn from this person;

z To help define a network of people who may be useful to them in reviewing their

experiences learners can be asked to list all the people they know related to the

occupational areas they are interested in, identify when they last contacted them and plan

to make contact in the future.


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Useful resources


z Shift Happens www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdTOFkhaplo&feature=related

z Calvin Sun, 10 tips for dealing with change in the workplace www.techrepublic.com/

blog/10things/10-tips-for-dealing-with-change-in-the-workplace/257

z University of California, A Personal Strategy for Engaging and Building Your Resilience

http://ucsfhr.ucsf.edu/index.php/assist/article/a-personal-strategy-for-engaging-and-

building-your-resilience/

Case study

Chesterfield College is a large FE college offering a range of vocational courses and

an A-level programme. A-level students at the college had very little included in theircurriculum in relation to employability and career management skills in comparison with

students on the more vocational programmes. The establishment of a new virtual sixth

form provided a good opportunity for the IAG manager to use the Blueprint to develop

a new tutorial programme for the students that concentrated on the Blueprint personal

management competencies. They particularly wanted to help students to:

z develop personal effectiveness in working with others in order to get the most out of

their college experience.

z

explore how mental and physical health can impact on life and work decisionsz describe and demonstrate how to handle stressful situations in order to prepare them

for future issues.

Another aim of this programme was to raise tutor awareness of the importance of

developing learners to be able to manage their career and to initiate a fresh approach

to careers work that would motivate and engage post-16 students who had already had

some exposure to mainstream careers activities.

Two hundred students were involved and reported that they particularly enjoyed working

together on personal and career development activities. Tutors reported that the

programme themes were effective in engaging students and helped tutor groups to bond

effectively. They also reported that the more interactive sessions inspired by the Blueprint

material were received very positively by learners.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdTOFkhaplo&feature=relatedhttp://www.techrepublic.com/blog/10things/10-tips-for-dealing-with-change-in-the-workplace/257http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/10things/10-tips-for-dealing-with-change-in-the-workplace/257http://ucsfhr.ucsf.edu/index.php/assist/article/a-personal-strategy-for-engaging-and-building-your-resilience/http://ucsfhr.ucsf.edu/index.php/assist/article/a-personal-strategy-for-engaging-and-building-your-resilience/http://ucsfhr.ucsf.edu/index.php/assist/article/a-personal-strategy-for-engaging-and-building-your-resilience/http://ucsfhr.ucsf.edu/index.php/assist/article/a-personal-strategy-for-engaging-and-building-your-resilience/http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/10things/10-tips-for-dealing-with-change-in-the-workplace/257http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/10things/10-tips-for-dealing-with-change-in-the-workplace/257http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdTOFkhaplo&feature=related


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B. Exploring life, learning and work

This heading is about being open to learning throughout life. It concerns understanding the

gaps in learning and skills and developing ways to address them, particularly with the help

and support of others. It also covers being able to identify and use information, advice andnetworks for support. The big picture is important in this learning area and it includes thinking

about how changes in society, politics and the economy relate to life, learning and work. On a

similar theme, there is a real advantage in understanding and anticipating how life, learning

and work roles change over time. This might include an awareness of the attitudes we hold

and the assumptions that we make.

There are four career learning competencies organised under this heading.

4. I learn throughout my life.5. I find and utilise information and the support of others.

6. I understand how changes in society, politics and the economy relate to my life, learning

and work.

7. I understand how life, learning and work roles change over time.


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4. I learn throughout my life

This career learning competency is for people to think about learning, how they learn and

the relationship with learning that they will have throughout their life. This career learning


Knowing what and where ...

z to find out about





z knowing about different types of learning e.g. formal

and informal, online and taught, mentoring, work

shadowing etc.

z identifying the gaps in my learning and skills

z exploring how my life experience has affected my

attitude to learning

z knowing about the support available to me for my

learning and how to access thisKnowing why



connections between



z understanding how to address the gaps in my learning

z understanding the value of developing a range of skills

z understanding why I need to invest in learning and how

this affects my life chances

z understanding the attitudes and behaviours that

contribute to successful learning

z understanding how skills and knowledge can be

transferred from one area of my work or life to another

Knowing how z to move things on,


to take action and

to apply knowledge.

z selecting the right type of learning for mez taking part in learning throughout life

z having a learning and development plan

z spotting opportunities to learn and develop

z overcoming the barriers that prevent me from learning

z broadening my learning outside my comfort zone


Within the context of your learning programme, you may find it useful to address this careerlearning competency through the following activities.

z A learning styles questionnaire can be used within a group session to support learners to

think about and share their approaches to learning. This can also be useful in helping to

stimulate discussions around the types of activities learners feel they are most successful in.

This might be explored further by investigating the differences between different types of

learning e.g. academic, vocational, work-based or distance-learning and how learners might

make choices based on their preferred style.

z A subject lesson can be used to encourage learners to consider how their current learning

and qualifications fit into their wider learning, connects to their career aspirations and what

other courses they may be interested in pursuing to progress their ideas.


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z Subject learning activities can be developed to explicitly identify what skills learners are

developing and how these might be used in other contexts. This will support learners to

develop an understanding of transferable skills.

z Tutorial sessions might be used to explore and discuss the benefits of lifelong learning andwhat the costs and benefits of taking part in learning programmes;




z Learners can be encouraged to examine the qualifications required for a range of jobs

and to review and map their existing qualifications. This may help learners to developan understanding of different levels of qualifications and how these might relate to

occupation levels e.g. technician, para-professional, professional etc.

z Using a selection of job profiles (National Careers Advice Service website) learners can be

supported to create a list of their current skills and areas where they are likely to need to

develop their skills for different work opportunities.

z Studying can be quite difficult for some learners; to help them build confidence it is helpful

for them to identify friends, colleagues and mentors who can offer them motivation and

support while they are learning.

Case study

When things go wrong or there is disappointing news, these learners lose

confidence very quickly ...

City of Wolverhampton College is a large, multi-campus further education college. The

college used the Blueprint to help foundation learners to develop career resilience, to buildconfidence and to set goals. The relevant career learning competencies were integrated

into an existing career development programme to help to sharpen the outcomes of

the intervention. The learners responded best to very active and practical exercises.

The college found that some learners found the activities, where a degree of personal

disclosure was required, more difficult to deal with in a group setting. They were also less

willing to take risks with their peers, to share experiences and to engage in discussion.

On the second day of the programme, however, participation became easier and learners

were more confident in engaging with the activities and particularly the goal setting.


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Useful resources


z UCAS www.ucas.com/z Not going to uni www.notgoingtouni.co.uk/

z Best course for me www.bestcourse4me.com/

z Mentoring sites such as:

Brightside www.brightsideuniaid.org

MentorPlace http://ibm.mentorplace.epals.org

MentorSET (women) www.mentorset.org.uk/

z National Careers Service www.nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk
http://www.ucas.com/http://www.notgoingtouni.co.uk/http://www.bestcourse4me.com/http://www.brightsideuniaid.org/http://ibm.mentorplace.epals.org/http://www.mentorset.org.uk/http://www.nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/http://www.nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/http://www.mentorset.org.uk/http://ibm.mentorplace.epals.org/http://www.brightsideuniaid.org/http://www.bestcourse4me.com/http://www.notgoingtouni.co.uk/http://www.ucas.com/


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5. I find and utilise information and the support of others

This career learning competency allows people to explore how they can best draw in people,

information and other resources to support their career development. This career learning



z to find out about





z knowing where and how to find a range of information

sources relevant to my life, learning and work

z using technology to help me to find the information

I need

z knowing who to go to for help, advice and information

Knowing why

z things happen and seekingto understand, to make

connections between



z being aware that information was created for different

purposes and seeking out a range of differentperspectives

z relating information to my own goals and situation

questioning and assessing the reliability and usefulness

of information

Knowing how



to take action and

to apply knowledge.

z interpreting and using career and labour market

information

z using different opportunities and experiences to find out

about learning, work and other alternatives

z combining information and drawing conclusions from it



learning competency through the following activities.

z Learner support services can be invited into sessions to make them aware of the range of

sources of support that are available to them and encouraging them to consider when and

how these might be used.

z ICT or subject sessions can use ICT resources to help them find out answers to careers-

related questions and then compare the answers identified with the rest of the group.

There are examples in the Career learning for all modular resource which can be accessed

via www.leadershiplearning.org.uk

z A tutorial session can be used to explore issues around valid and reliable information.

Learners can be provided with a range of career information sources and asked to

think about their audience, currency, reliability, bias, stereotyping and usefulness fordifferent enquiries.

z A group session can be used with learners to encourage them to assess the pros and cons

of formal and informal sources of information.
http://www.leadershiplearning.org.uk/http://www.leadershiplearning.org.uk/


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z A subject lesson can develop a project that encourages learners to identify all the

occupations related to the subject area. Learners can then undertake a mapping exercise

to identify all the relevant employers in their area for the occupational area and the various

job roles they have identified.




z Learners can be encouraged to undertake research using the web to discover useful

websites that offer information about learning and work.

zLearners to investigate how social media might be useful to exploring the career options.

z Learners encouraged to use the National Careers Service website to investigate career

areas they are interested in and to contact the helpline for advice on learning and jobs.

z After identifying information sources and websites which might be useful, they can

assess what is good and bad about the sources they have identified. Do they provide the

information required and if not where else might they look.

z To help investigate and test out ideas more fully learners can be encouraged to try job

tasters, volunteering and interim or intern positions to find out more about what they are

interested in. 5

Useful resources


z National Guidance Research Forum http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/ier/ngrf/

z

Prospects www.prospects.ac.uk/z iCould http://icould.com/

5 RSS (Rich Site Summary) is a format for delivering regularly changing web content. Many news-related sites, weblogs

and other online publishers syndicate their content as an RSS Feed to whoever wants it.

Case study

A new careers manager at a sixth-form college conducted an audit of learners, tutors and

partner organisations to identify gaps in the careers provision. The lack of up-to-date

information on careers topics was identified as a gap, and so a blog was set up, which

enabled learners to register for RSS feeds5 thus allowing relevant information to be sent totheir email address.
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/ier/ngrf/http://www.prospects.ac.uk/http://icould.com/http://icould.com/http://www.prospects.ac.uk/http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/ier/ngrf/


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6. I understand how changes in society, politics and the economyrelate to my life, learning and work

This career learning competency deals with how people understand the world around them

and explore its implications for their lives. This career learning competency includes:


z to find out about





z identifying the importance and value I place on work

and learning

z understanding that there are ethical dimensions to my

life, learning and work

z being aware of the global economy and how it impacts

on my life, learning and work

z being aware of social and political changes

Knowing why z things happen and seeking


connections between



z understanding how social, political and economicchange can affect the services and goods society needs,

and have an impact on my life, learning and work

z understanding how work (paid and unpaid) contributes

to my community and society

z being aware of how my willingness to travel or relocate

impacts on my life, learning and work opportunities

understanding how groups and individuals can influence

the conditions within which I work and live

Knowing how z to move things on,


to take action and

to apply knowledge.

z finding out how I can contribute effectively tothe development of my community and society

(e.g. through volunteering)

z identifying work and life choices that fit with my values

z anticipating likely changes to my life, learning and work

that will affect my choices

z weighing up the pros and cons of travelling and

relocation to attain my life, learning and career goals




z Cross-curricula or subject lessons could be used to explore issues of how politics, the

economy and other world events might impact on learners and their future career

prospects. Suitable subjects for this might be history, economics, geography, social science

and politics.

z A project delivered in a group could address exploring occupations of parents and

grandparents and sharing information about these as part of a discussion about the

changing nature of work.


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z A tutorial activity could include debating the ethical and environmental issues related to

different career choices and encouraging learners to think about how these might impact

on their choices.

z A subject related activity could involve exploring and discussing jobs that are linked toparticular locations or which require mobility for example the armed forces or work on

offshore oil rigs, assess life changes that will follow as a result of pursuing these careers.

This type of activity may be of specific use in geography lessons for example.

z Tutorial time could be dedicated to sharing recent news stories and what the local impacts

may be on jobs, the economy etc.




z Learners can be encouraged to keep up to date with local and national news by using

online news sources and reading the newspaper and considering the implications of local,

national or international events on jobs or particular industries.

z Learners can be encouraged to explore volunteering opportunities and think about their

benefits to themselves, others and society. This may be part of a wider project which links

curricula learning with learners extra-curricular activity.

z Mobility issues could be considered through using a pros and cons approach to assess

what might be the benefits and drawbacks of relocating for work, taking a gap year or an

overseas volunteering position.

Useful resources


z Guardian careers http://careers.guardian.co.uk/

z The International Centre for Guidance Studies www.derby.ac.uk/icegs

z UK Commission for Employment and Skills www.ukces.org.uk/

z British Council www.britishcouncil.org/new/about-us/jobs/

z Voluntary services overseas www.vso.org.uk
http://careers.guardian.co.uk/http://www.derby.ac.uk/icegshttp://www.ukces.org.uk/http://www.britishcouncil.org/new/about-us/jobs/http://www.vso.org.uk/http://www.vso.org.uk/http://www.britishcouncil.org/new/about-us/jobs/http://www.ukces.org.uk/http://www.derby.ac.uk/icegshttp://careers.guardian.co.uk/


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7. I understand how life, learning and work roles change over time

This career learning competency addresses the issues of individual and social change and

allows people to explore how they deal with these changes in their life, learning and work.

This career learning competency includes:


to find out about yourself,

others and the world around

you and seeking knowledge,

facts, information, and ideas.

z knowing how the typical and stereotypical roles of

different individuals and groups in society change

over time

z being aware that life, learning and work roles can change

over my lifetime

z knowing that a range of different roles, in the workplace

and in the home, are important to family and society

e.g. caring and domestic workKnowing why



connections between



z understanding my own attitudes to different life,

learning and work roles, and considering how these

attitudes have been shaped

z being aware that during my lifetime I am likely to fulfil

many roles

z being aware that stereotypes, bias and discrimination

can limit my opportunities

Knowing how

z to move things on,to behave positively,

to take action and

to apply knowledge.

z helping to create a culture, which values individuals on

the basis of what they have to offerz taking on a range of roles and responsibilities throughout

my life in a positive way

z challenging my own and others assumptions and

stereotypes

z being aware of my own attitudes to life, learning

and work




z A subject group could explore how different occupations have evolved in relation to societal

needs. This might be particularly useful in health and social care where an analysis could be

undertaken of how these jobs have developed.

z A tutorial session could focus on stereotyping and how jobs are often stereotypically male

or female. Photographs of different people could be reviewed and learners can try toguess which job they are doing. Consider if and why assumptions are made. The discussion

could focus on why this has been the case and explore examples of how it might be

changing. It can be useful to look at the legislation around discrimination and relate this to

individuals own experiences.


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z A tutorial session could be used to discuss the division of labour and explore attitudes to

housework, caring, being the main breadwinner and other roles that individuals in the

group may take on throughout their life.




z Learners could be encouraged to undertake an interest inventory such as JIIG-CAL or

CASCAiD to assess occupations that may be of interest and also other that they might not

have considered to be appropriate for themselves.6

zActivities for learners to undertake individually could include considering how flexible theyare in adapting to planned or required changes in roles for example housework, childcare,

commuting long distances to work, working away from home etc. Ask learners to consider

the various roles that they have (parent, carer, worker, volunteer, student) then to produce

a pie chart and allocate their time against each of the roles. They can then reflect on how

well they feel they are able to manage their time and if they need to redistribute what how

their time is allocated. Below is an example of one approach that could be used to help

learners develop this career learning competency.

Useful resources


z The Equality and Human Rights Commission www.equalityhumanrights.com/

z The Fawcett Society www.fawcettsociety.org.uk

z The UK Resource Centre for Women in SET www.theukrc.org/

z Donald Supers life rainbow http://oregoncis.uoregon.edu/pdf/curriculum/Life_Roles_

Rainbow_MS.pdf

6 Individuals can use these tools to assess their interests, skills, likes and dislikes in order to identify suitable job roles. These

resources may be available through student support services in colleges or through local providers of careers advice.

Case study

The career guidance staff at an FE college organise an annual career and progression

event with their particular linked department. These events are used to challenge

preconceived ideas held by learners from stereotyping. For example, on one occasion,

the work of a successful former female student was included in a talk by a university on

transport design.
http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/http://www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/http://www.theukrc.org/http://oregoncis.uoregon.edu/pdf/curriculum/Life_Roles_Rainbow_MS.pdfhttp://oregoncis.uoregon.edu/pdf/curriculum/Life_Roles_Rainbow_MS.pdfhttp://oregoncis.uoregon.edu/pdf/curriculum/Life_Roles_Rainbow_MS.pdfhttp://oregoncis.uoregon.edu/pdf/curriculum/Life_Roles_Rainbow_MS.pdfhttp://www.theukrc.org/http://www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/


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C. Developing and managing life, learning and work

This area is about how thinking about how life, learning and work connect together. It asks

people to think about how they make decisions about their life and how they go about

ensuring that they maintain a balance between the different elements of their life. It alsoasks them to think about how they plan for the future and what they need to do to ensure

that they have access to the work that they need to allow them to pursue the kind of life that

they want.

There are four career learning competencies organised under this heading.

8. I make effective decisions relating to my life, learning and work.

9. I find, create and keep work.

10. I maintain a balance in my life, learning and work that is right for me.11. I plan, develop and manage my life, learning and work.


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8. I make effective decisions relating to my life, learning and work

This career learning competency is about how people make decisions and how they can learn

to make more effective decisions. This career learning competency includes:


z to find out about





z knowing what effective decision-making is and its

benefits and impact on choices in life

z identifying and gathering a range of information to help

me make decisions

z understanding that there are different ways to make

decisions

z knowing how to evaluate my decisions i.e. identifying

pros and cons and implications

z understanding risk taking in decision-making

Knowing why



connections between



z understanding and evaluating various influences on my

decision-making

z understanding how my personal beliefs and attitudes

affect my decisions

z being aware of what might interfere with me attaining

my goals, and developing strategies to overcome these

barriers

z knowing that the choices I make influence the course of

my life

z understanding my attitude to risk-taking

Knowing how



to take action and

to apply knowledge.

z thinking creatively about life, learning and work options

z seeking out a range of information and options when

making decisions

z taking account of my medium and long term goals in

day-to-day decision-making

z evaluating the pros and cons of options that affect my

life, learning and work

z evaluating the impact of my decisions on myself, on

others and on my community and the wider society.


Within the context of your learning programme, you may find it useful to address this career


z The ability to make good decisions is an important part of career management. Tutorial

sessions can be used to introduce learners to a range of different decision-making

approaches and to review the pros and cons of each approach.


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z A group session can be focused on decision-making. Learners can be encouraged to review

the decisions that they have made in the past. It would be useful to explore if they felt they

made a good or bad decision and their rationale for this belief. Additionally the decision

could be re-visited using other decision-making models and an assessment made as to the

suitability of the original approach.

z Small group sessions could be used to work on decisions group members may already be

dealing with, for example, a choice between two jobs or whether to go to university, and

encourage the group to help them to work it through and make a decision.




z Learners can be supported to consider how they normally make decisions and to select a

large, medium and small decision and see if they approach them all in the same way. If

not why do they think this is the case? Learners may want to explore how their approach to

decision-making has changed i.e. did they make decisions in the same way when they were

16 as they might do now? Why might this be the case?

z It is useful to know whose advice can be trusted when a decision needs to be made.

Learners can be encouraged to list from whom they seek advice when they have a decision

to make and why they think that person is helpful to them. What are they looking for when

deciding where to get support, for example someone they trust or has experience? They

may also want to consider who else might be useful to talk to for other decisions.

z It is not always easy to make decisions, encourage learners to think about decisions they

have struggled to make. Is this because they have any self-imposed barriers to achieving

their goals, e.g. procrastination or fear of failure. What made the decision difficult?

z Encourage learners to think about a problem they might have and to consider it from a

positive frame of mind by suggesting strategies that could be adopted to work aroundobstacles and barriers.

Case study

Concern at a sixth-form college at the lack of vocational awareness among those on its

A-level programmes prompted the staff to develop six extended careers programmes

focusing on the professions. When evaluated, 95 per cent of learners indicated that the

course attended had been good or excellent at helping them in the decision-makingprocess. Staff report that the courses help learners to prepare for life, work and further study.


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Useful resources


z Mind Tools, Decision-making techniques

www.mindtools.com/pages/main/newMN_TED.htm

z Frontal Cortex www.wired.com/wiredscience/frontal-cortex/

z Monster, Identify and avoid these career decision-making traps

http://career-advice.monster.com/job-search/career-assessment/avoid-career-decision-

traps/article.aspx

Case study

Staff at Franklin Sixth Form College noted that many of their students were making critical

course changes and career direction changes at the age of 16 to 17, having alreadystarted out on a full-time college programme. The college felt that the Blueprint approach

might facilitate better decision-making among learners and minimise the organisational

and personal challenges associated with large-scale course switching. To achieve this goal,

the college established new guidance programmes for three different cohorts of students

aged 15, 16 and 17 with a particular focus on decision-making.

The college involved well-informed and trained impartial outsiders to support students

and found that this created a much richer environment for students career exploration

and decision-making. As a result of the programmes, staff realised that there were gaps inmany areas of students knowledge of progression pathways and the costs and benefits

of a different routes. However, all three aged cohorts improved their career management

skills and staff observed particular improvements in the area of decision-making.

In addition, the college staff could see the benefits of introducing a Blueprint-informed

career programme at an earlier age.
http://www.mindtools.com/pages/main/newMN_TED.htmhttp://www.wired.com/wiredscience/frontal-cortex/http://career-advice.monster.com/job-search/career-assessment/avoid-career-decision-traps/article.aspxhttp://career-advice.monster.com/job-search/career-assessment/avoid-career-decision-traps/article.aspxhttp://career-advice.monster.com/job-search/career-assessment/avoid-career-decision-traps/article.aspxhttp://career-advice.monster.com/job-search/career-assessment/avoid-career-decision-traps/article.aspxhttp://www.wired.com/wiredscience/frontal-cortex/http://www.mindtools.com/pages/main/newMN_TED.htm


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9. I find, create and keep work

This career learning competency is about the skills, knowledge and attributes that people

need to find, create and keep work. This career learning competency includes:


z to find out about





z knowing how and where to search for work

z knowing who could help me find work opportunities

z knowing what employers value in employees

z knowing about different types of work and employers

z knowing how businesses and organisations operate

z knowing the skills needed during a recruitment process

Knowing why


to understand, to makeconnections between



z understanding that my skills and experiences are

transferable to various work settings

z understanding the value of paid and unpaid work indeveloping and evidencing skills

z understanding how to create job opportunities

z understanding what kind of work and employment I value

z understanding the importance of presenting myself

effectively when seeking work and whilst in work

Knowing how



to take action andto apply knowledge.

z developing skills and experience that employers value

z presenting myself and my skills to others effectively

z searching for work effectively, making connections,

seeing opportunities and imagining possibilities in thecontext of my working life

z developing relationships and networks to help me to

find, create and keep work

z engaging in learning activities to maintain and develop

skills for work


Within the context of your learning programme you may find it useful to address this careerlearning competency through the following activities:

z Tutorials and group sessions can be used to help learners assess their job search skills. This

can be done through developing CVs and completing application forms for identified jobs,

mock interviews or psychometric tests.

z CVs need to be customised for every job that a learner applies for; it is good practice to

support learners to be able to do this. Using their CV they can consider how it needs to be

adapted to meet the needs of different job descriptions.


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z Individual and group projects can be used to encourage learners to discover more about

the work that is available and to think about how individuals moved into those roles. This

could be through interviewing someone they know who has recently got a job or changed

jobs to better understand the process and get some tips.

z There are many publications that document key employability skills. The list of skills could

be used to identify what learners have already got, where they were developed and what

they think they might need to focus on. Helping learners to think about the evidence they

can offer to demonstrate skills is a key point here. The LSIS CPD module Introduction to

employability skills can provide you with more ideas. It is available to download from the

career development section of the Excellence Gateway www.excellencegateway.org.uk/

node/1331


You may wish to encourage learners to continue to develop in career learning competency


z On an individual basis learners should be encouraged to seek feedback when they have not

been successful in securing a job. Strategies for improvement could then be identified and

discussed in a one-to-one session.

z Reviewing their skills against a real job advert will help a learner to realistically assess their

employability skills and what else they may need to do to make themselves more attractive.

z Many learners may be interested in investigating self-employment and what support is

available for new businesses. This could be an individual project resulting in an action plan

of what needs to be done. Some banks have information that can help.

z Voluntary work and work experience can be really useful to gain experience and insights

in to different sectors and areas of work, these will also support individuals in making

contacts, which may be useful in contributing to their personal and professional networks.

z Learners can be encouraged to create one core CV that they update regularly. This can

then be amended and elements selected depending on what job the learner is applying

for. Information and help on writing CVs can be found on the National Careers Service

website. They may also want to upload this to this to a career portal or portfolio.
http://www.excellencegateway.org.uk/node/1331http://www.excellencegateway.org.uk/node/1331http://www.excellencegateway.org.uk/node/1331http://www.excellencegateway.org.uk/node/1331


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Useful resources


z Directgov, Jobs and skills search

http://jobseekers.direct.gov.uk/homepage.aspx?sessionid=feb97d52-5ca8-4f12-b93b-

1956390d340c&pid=3

z Directgov self-employment

www.direct.gov.uk/en/employment/jobseekers/lookingforwork/dg_173931

z Business Link www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/layer?topicId=1073875654

z The Princes Trust www.princes-trust.org.uk/

z BBC, Get that job www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/business/getthatjob/

z Monster www.monster.co.uk

z National Careers Service http://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk

Case study

University of the West of England (UWE) is a large university with a broad range

of learners. UWE has developed the Graduate Futures Award as a new initiative tosupport employability amongst its students. The Blueprint was used to inform the

design and delivery of the programme and course materials were adapted from the

Canadian Blueprint. In addition to employability skills, the programme also involved

the development of students enterprise skills and participants are required to have, or

commit to gaining, work experience. Feedback from students suggested that they found

that the Blueprint provided a useful structure for thinking about and analysing their career

learning competencies. It also helped people to clarify where they were and how they

could improve.
http://jobseekers.direct.gov.uk/homepage.aspx?sessionid=feb97d52-5ca8-4f12-b93b-1956390d340c&pid=3http://jobseekers.direct.gov.uk/homepage.aspx?sessionid=feb97d52-5ca8-4f12-b93b-1956390d340c&pid=3http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/employment/jobseekers/lookingforwork/dg_173931http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/la

Blueprint Implementation Guide

Documents